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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A retired American soldier is criticizing a Canadian judge's decision to allow the release of a former Guantanamo Bay inmate on bail, saying he's a dangerous terrorist who poses a threat to the West's safety.
Toronto-born Omar Khadr was convicted of war crimes, including throwing a grenade when he was 15 years old that killed U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Speer in Afghanistan during a 2002 firefight.
Layne Morris, a former 19th Special Forces soldier from Utah who was wounded and lost sight in one eye in the skirmish, says Khadr's release Thursday is a cause for concern.
He tells the Deseret News newspaper in Salt Lake City that "This is a man who has demonstrated a willingness and a capability to do great harm to Canadian society and Western interests in general."
Last year, Morris and Speer's widow filed a $44.7 million wrongful death and injury lawsuit against Khadr in U.S. District Court in Utah.
Khadr, son of an alleged senior al-Qaida financier, says he categorically rejects violent jihad and wants a fresh start. He plans to finish his education and work in health care.
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